Freddie Manento is an inspirational Square by any measure. Managing Director of Push Mobile – a telecoms company operating out of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania – he joined Squared Online in 2015 to make sure Push had the right digital capabilities to stay ahead. They’ve since won two contracts with the United Nations in quick succession, and added a number of banks and airlines to their client list.

Freddie recently took time out to speak to us about his Squared experience, and his continuing digital journey since finishing the course.

‘I realised there was a gap in the market and a need for international brands to be present in the digital sphere in Tanzania. We had big brands like Coca Cola, Zantel and Tigo who wanted to be online, but the market wasn’t ready in terms of specialisations. And although Push has a digital team, as Managing Director it was very important for me to upskill in digital, and increase my own confidence and understanding of digital strategy, consumer behaviour and trends.’

And as a result, many of his learnings have allowed Push to tackle client briefs even more effectively.

‘Squared opened up a new digital world for me. The customer journey has helped me shape how I handle our products and understand the behaviour of our customers. We’ve been using the content marketing matrix ever since I first came across it in Module 3 – and it’s helped the company bring on two new airline accounts. In particular Squared Online has been instrumental in establishing Push as a mobile-first organisation.’

‘Just before I finished Squared Online, Push won a contract with the United Nations and together we launched a mobile campaign sharing life-saving information about Ebola. The campaign reached 10 million and incorporated learnings from throughout my Squared Online experience.’

Following this successful partnership, Push and the UN will team up again on a new campaign to raise awareness about cholera.

‘Squared Online has added lots of value to me and my clients, but most importantly to the people of Tanzania.’